Curt Cavin’s Pit Pass: Field of 33 drawing closer for Indy 500

Simon Pagenaud, of France, talks with his crew after the practice for the IndyCar series Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach auto race in Long Beach, Calif., Friday, April 11, 2014.
(Photo:
AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo
)

That’s the question being asked as the race draws within a month of its green flag. Practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway starts May 11.

As of Thursday afternoon, there were 29 confirmed car-and-driver combinations, four shy of the traditional 33.

No. 30 comes from a partnership of the Dreyer & Reinbold and Kingdom Racing entities, with Indy Lights champion Sage Karam the leading candidate if Ganassi Racing is able to assemble a deal. Plan B is James Jakes or James Davison.

Nos. 31 and 32 will come from Dale Coyne Racing, although Dale Coyne has confirmed neither. It is believed that Pippa Mann will drive one of the cars with help from the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing crew. The other car likely comes down to Carlos Huertas or Davison.

No. 33 is the wild card.

A program for rookie Stefan Wilson has been discussed, but there are no details to report other than a car was purchased from Panther Racing.

Davey Hamilton, who is a partner in the DRR/Kingdom entry, said a second car isn’t possible at this time. Similarly, Bryan Herta said the team bearing his name can’t expand to a second car.

Conor Daly had hoped to land a seat, but the Indianapolis-based driver said he’s given up pursuit and agreed to a GP2 program that’s funded at least through the season’s fourth race in Austria (June 20-22). Because GP2 races in Monte Carlo on 500 weekend, Daly said he can’t even attend his hometown race.

Boundaries questioned after Power’s non-penalty

Tony Kanaan said he knows where the boundaries are when it comes to racing other IndyCar drivers. Simon Pagenaud isn’t so sure.

The situation stems from Will Power not being penalized for hitting Pagenaud in the left rear in the April 13 race in Long Beach. Power was not penalized, although he expected to be, as the three-man officiating group tries to let the drivers sort things out themselves.

Pagenaud said that could lead to trouble at Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park, a tight road course.

“If it’s similar to Long Beach in terms of rules it’s going to get pretty crazy pretty quick,” Pagenaud said. “We are racers; we all want to win. We all try to get (cars) into a gap that’s sometimes too small.

“There needs to be some regulation sometimes that tells us what we can and cannot do. Right now, to be honest with you, I don’t know what’s allowed and what is not allowed. It’s still a very gray area.”

One thing is clear: Pagenaud won’t forget what his former Walker Racing teammate did to him in Long Beach.

“I guess he set the tone for the rest of the season,” Pagenaud said.

Etc.

Power won at Barber in 2011 and ’12, and he has captured the pole twice since the event began four years ago. Ryan Hunter-Reay won last year’s race from the pole. Scott Dixon has finished second all four years. ... The Pro-Am race as part of the new vintage car weekend at IMS added another four former 500 drivers Thursday. Geoff Brabham, Johnny Parsons Jr., Alex Lloyd and Rick Treadway will join two-time 500 winner Al Unser Jr., Mark Dismore, Lyn St. James and Willy T. Ribbs in the event that will be held June 8 on the road course.